Of Medicine and Mice
by D.Quiin
Summary: Oneshot. "She looked at what he held, a tray of food on a plate as well as a small translucent cup. But there were neither knife nor fork. How curious." In which a princess-who-isn't dressed in white clothes in a white room meets with a not-white-knight.


Disclaimer: I do not own Cinderella or her choirs of clothed mice in any way, shape or form. Get it? Got it? Good. Now on with the story

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Cinderella grumbled as she felt a poke on her cheek, but amiably opened up her eyes. Standing on her pillow was Jacque, her favorite mouse. The adorable picture his little shirt, cap, and boots made was somewhat offset by his cocky stance, and Cinderella had to repress a smile lest Jacque see it. She didn't want him to feel like she was laughing at him after all. Well, she was, but it was in a good way. Cinderella wasn't sure the mouse would take it that way though. Oh well. She sat up and stretched luxuriously.

Jaque asked if she slept well as he jumped off her pillow to her headboard. Cinderella smiled and nodded,

"I had the most wonderful dream. There was me and a handsome prince and we lived in a _beautiful_ castle." One of the other mice poked their head out from the starched white sheets at the foot of her bed and squeaked at her. Cinderella giggled and blushed. She replied,

"Of course we were. It was wonderful!" and with that remark she jumped out of bed, careful not to injure her furry friends. Cinderella spun around in a circle, her white nightgown twirling out around her.

"A dream is a wish your heart makes, when you're fast asleep," Cinderella's beautiful falsetto soared and dipped in all the right places and she grinned from joy as all the mice began to sing along with her. Everything was perfect.

There was a knock at her door. Cinderella stopped her singing, and shushed her friends so that she could hear. Was it him? Her prince? A pin drop would have been audible as Cinderella stood stock still.

"Er, Ella, may I come in?" The voice was deep, and oh-so-sweet. A smile spread across Cinderella's face as she realized who it was. Her dear Prince Charming, come to take her away from her dreary life as a poor maid to evil people. Suddenly a terrible thought came into her head: She wasn't dressed in suitable clothes, and there was no time for the mice to help her make anything!

"Wait! I'm only wearing my nightgown, I'm not decent yet!" She shouted out as the door began to open. It stopped, just a few inches wide. Cinderella gasped in delight as a hand slipped through holding with a beautiful blue dress! She took it gingerly.

"Is this okay?" The voice asked. Cinderella nodded frantically, before remembering that it couldn't see her. She answered teary-eyed,

"Oh, yes, _thank_ _you_. This is the most gorgeous dress I've ever seen. Not even my stepmother boasts a dress this nice." Cinderella admired the shining azure fabric, and the white slip underneath. "What kind of material is this? I've never seen any like it."

"Its, um, nylon. I think. Maybe." The voice sounded unsure, but Cinderella didn't care. It was dazzling, and now hers. She began to take off her nightgown, but glanced at the slightly open door.

"I'm going to change now, and don't you dare open that door." Cinderella sternly said to the person on the other side. She heard a muffled snort, and the door clanged shut. Cinderella huffed. After she changed she would most definitely tell her prince that it was unseemly for royalty to snort like some farm animal.

Cinderella hurriedly donned the dress and folded her nightgown neatly as she could fold the stiff white material. She knew from experience that a folded nightgown would last longer than a crumpled one, and she couldn't afford to ask her stepmother for a new one for another couple months at least. Cinderella was still in trouble from the incident with her stepmother's tom cat and the butter churner. It wasn't even her fault, she told him not to go near it, but did her listen? No. And now she had to do twice as much work to make up for it. It was simply horrible. Cinderella frowned, a fine crease appearing between her eyebrows.

Cinderella sighed, and absent mindedly fingered the small patch on her nightgown. She knew it had writing sewn onto it but not what it said. Her stepmother said that scullery maids didn't need to learn their letters, so she couldn't read it. Oh well.

Cinderella made her bed, and looked around her small, stark, and very white room to see if anything was amiss. The pretty picture books were all in order in her small steel bookshelf. There was neither dust nor dirt, and everything was a gleaming white. None of this was any surprise to Cinderella, who cleaned regularly.

The mice peeked out at her from under the pillow, and she shooed them back under. While Cinderella knew that her prince would accept her friends, she didn't want to thrust too much on him yet. Best to take it easy. Good, good, everything in order. Cinderella twirled once and hummed under her breath. _Put 'em together and what have you got?_

"Please enter, sir." The door opened, revealing her prince. Cinderella grinned broadly before realizing what a sight she must make, and lessening her smile to something more demure.

Her prince was very handsome, tall with thick hair. He had a straight nose and full lips whose corners were lifted in a slight smile. His eyes were kind, and his clothes, oh his clothes! The pants and the shirt were both pure white, and he wore a shiny medal above his heart. He looked like a shining knight, ready to whisk her off to his kingdom that very moment. Cinderella's gaze fell to what he had in his hands._ Bibbidi_

"Who is that for?" She asked politely, remembering not to point. The prince blinked and glanced down,

"This is for you, Ella." He replied as he called her by her Christian name yet again. Cinderella blushed. She hadn't yet given him permission, but she would forgive him because he was her prince. But a present! For her? Her prince truly was perfect. She looked at what he held, a tray of food on a plate as well as a small translucent cup. But there were neither knife nor fork. How curious. Did her prince forget them? How could she eat without those? It would be bad manners to eat with her hands, especially in front of company. Would he be insulted if she asked him? She turned her attention to the cup, strangely enough, with bright colored candy inside. This was something she could ask her prince about._ Bobbidi_

"What are those? Are they sweets? You know, it isn't healthy to have sweets before one eats." The prince's teeth flashed as he smiled at her. It made Cinderella go weak at the knees. He replied,

"Your medication, Ella."_ Boo_


End file.
